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Human cremation ashes in the garden

Posts: 42

Location: 7B NC, USA

posted 2 years ago

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We want to bury my mother in law’s ashes in the flower garden next to the apple trees. Long ago she gave me the yarrow planted there from her garden. I also have a lot of fennel, comfrey, feverfew, poppies, daffodil, dahlias as perennials in the apple tree bed. I plant zinnias and other annuals there too. The internet says that human cremation remains have too much salt and are too alkaline to be good for garden plants. How can I neutralize her ashes and deal with the hypothetical high salt content so that the apple trees and flowers do not suffer? Thank you for your help!

Gray Henon

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posted 2 years ago

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Most NC soils are pretty acid, so as long as you aren’t putting them on acid loving plants (blueberries, azaleas, etc) you shouldn’t have much trouble there. Lots of rain in NC as well which will help dilute any excess salt. You can always do a little at a time between heavy rains.

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G Freden

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posted 2 years ago

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My condolences for your loss. I think scattering your mother in law's ashes around your flowers is a wonderful idea, and since the amount from a cremation is so small I can't imagine any issue.

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Toko Aakster

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Location: Kentucky, USA

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posted 2 years ago

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The internet says that human cremation remains have too much salt and are too alkaline to be good for garden plants

More specifically, it can be harmful in /high concentrations/ - just like blood meal, bone meal, guano, or ANY soil amendment can harm a plant in high concentrations. Unfinished compost can be too powerful and cause nitrogen burn.
What you receive back after cremation is a small amount of what is left from a body burning, and is mostly baked bones that were ground into dust.
It is basically an acidic and somewhat salty version of bone meal.

Scattering or mixing a little bit of cremation ash into the soil across a whole garden, that's fine and can be beneficial, since the ash will have a lot of calcium.
If you were to bury all the ashes in one spot, the plant life around that area might get too overwhelmed.

Since ashes made from bodies (vs wood) will tilt the PH toward acidity, putting her to rest around acid-loving plants would benefit them - plants like blueberries, rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, etc.

Cremated remains used in the garden is approved & supported by the Oregon State University Extension Office.

Adding activated charcoal and compost - or mixing the ash into those things before applying to the garden - can help neutralize/dilute salt content.
The salt would also primarily harm young plants/shoots - an established tree or vigorous garden would be far less impacted by salt.

Watering deeply after application, or applying it right before a huge rain storm can also help dilute the salt - salt is water-soluble, so it can be washed down into the soil past the root zone.

Nancy Reading

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posted 2 years ago

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I'm sorry for your loss.

Doing a bit of keyboard research reveals that the cremation ash is mainly Calcium Phosphate (ref). This might have the result of raising the pH slightly. The ash from an average cremation is about 6lb in weight (we are mostly water which just goes into the atmosphere to become rain) which I don't think would change the pH of your soil significantly if spread about.

One would have thought that the Phosphorus might be good for flowering plants - the element helps root growth and flower bloom. Unfortunately in the form of Calcium Phosphate the Phosphorus is not in a soluble form for plants (ref) so won't have an instant effect. Having the element in the soil however is a good thing and with a healthy soil biota it should be made accessible in time for your plants -more as a slow release than an instant rush, which sounds to me like a good thing anyhow.

I don't think the ashes will do any harm either. If you had the space I would plant another tree - as it grows the elements will become available and sustain it in the long term. Maybe a perennial plant or shrub if space is limited.

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Laurie Powsner

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posted 7 months ago

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One correction, unrelated to gardening...

This is not accurate:
What you receive back after cremation
is a small amount of what is left from
a body burning

You absolutely receive all of the ashes. While a dusting might remain after sweeping out the retort, imagine how people would feel about workers throwing away the bulk of their loved ones ashes. Oh boy.

Most adult cremains will weigh weigh about 4 to 8 lb. You can estimate the volume by the person's weight, typically 150 lb person's ashes will be around 150 cubic inches.

Depending on the crematory's cremulator and process, much of it may be fine powder, but typically it is more granular and may even have small chunks of bone.

Christopher Weeks

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posted 7 months ago

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When my grandmother passed, I found that she'd contracted to have her ashes spread in a particular memorial rose garden. But an unusual number of people's cremains had been recently spread there and they had to wait a year to avoid poisoning the roses. So it's apparently quite common to do that, but also possible to do too much. I'm with the folks who think it's probably safe as long as you spread it out a bit.

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Vicky Cody

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posted 6 months ago

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I've read that you can add activated charcoal and compost. Mix in garden soil, ph balanced from the store. Mix all of that with the ashes. Plus if you can find or make a biodegradable urns, or box have a barrier between the ashes and the plant or seedling you plan to plant with the ashes. I have planned to make a rectangle wooden box put my husband's ashes in the bottom place a bored over then,that when the tree seedling has grow good enough for the roots to break though, even though I may make sure the ashes are neutralize, it's just an extra precaution.
The ashes want hurt the tree. After planting water you plants deeply bc salt is water soluble and when you water you plants, and the tree roots get to the ashes the time it took for the roots to get to the ashes all the water should have neutralize the salt.

It also said if you plan to scatter the ashes you may not have to neutralize them if you are scattering them in a large area. If it's a small area or in the soil with them, before you plant you will need to neutralize with activated charcoal and/or compsot. I think I'll do all four so that I make sure his living memorial tree and garden will stay alive. 1. Activated charcoal. 2. Compost. 3. Biodegradable urns with two separate compartments. 4. Deeply water in my tree. So that later own when we plant flowers and other beautiful things for his garden they want be effected by the ashes. Also I read you can add an acid to counter act the alkaline in the ashes but I think that why it said to add the charcoal and Compost that that fixes the pH and balances out for trees and plants.

I pray that however you decide to do that your garden services and thrives. Add a bench to the area around it so you can sit there on a pretty day and remember your mom. God bless you. Vicky

Douglas Alpenstock

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posted 6 months ago

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I am deeply respectful of those who suffer loss. I know it well.

Personally I do not want my ashes spread in growing areas. A tiny pinch here, or there, in favourite places is perhaps acceptable. But I have no doubt that chemically I am a creature of my age, with lead and mercury and other accumulated heavy metals, with a pinch of radioactive material from atmospheric testing. No, not anywhere that might be a garden. My 2c.

Vicky Cody

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posted 5 months ago

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I learned if you scatter or even put human cremation in with flowers and trees you first have to amend the ashes. Bc once a person is ashes the cremans have are high salt and potassium and will kill most plants. You have to figure out how much potting or garden soil and compost to mix in with the ashes so that you neutralize these factors. Bc you want a living memorial, that lives on bc your loved one is giving the garden and or tree live. I'm trying to find out how much soul and compost to add to my husband's ashes so I can make him a living tree and garden. This will live on for our kids and their kids and on down the line. I want them to do the same thing for me too, when I go. If anyone figures out how much soul and compost to add to 7 to 10 lbs of ashes please reply or send me a private message you can also find me, Vicky Cody on fb and message me there. Thank you and God bless you and I pray that this helps everyone.

Vicky Cody

Posts: 4

posted 5 months ago

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Vicky Cody wrote:I've read that you can add activated charcoal and compost. Mix in garden soil, ph balanced from the store. Mix all of that with the ashes. Plus if you can find or make a biodegradable urns, or box have a barrier between the ashes and the plant or seedling you plan to plant with the ashes. I have planned to make a rectangle wooden box put my husband's ashes in the bottom place a bored over then,that when the tree seedling has grow good enough for the roots to break though, even though I may make sure the ashes are neutralize, it's just an extra precaution.
The ashes want hurt the tree. After planting water you plants deeply bc salt is water soluble and when you water you plants, and the tree roots get to the ashes the time it took for the roots to get to the ashes all the water should have neutralize the salt.

It also said if you plan to scatter the ashes you may not have to neutralize them if you are scattering them in a large area. If it's a small area or in the soil with them, before you plant you will need to neutralize with activated charcoal and/or compsot. I think I'll do all four so that I make sure his living memorial tree and garden will stay alive. 1. Activated charcoal. 2. Compost. 3. Biodegradable urns with two separate compartments. 4. Deeply water in my tree. So that later own when we plant flowers and other beautiful things for his garden they want be effected by the ashes. Also I read you can add an acid to counter act the alkaline in the ashes but I think that why it said to add the charcoal and Compost that that fixes the pH and balances out for trees and plants.

I found a website where you can buy the perfect soul to mix human and they have some for pet cremated ashes and urns that are biodegradable to put them in and bury them. Or you can mix it or scatter it in your garden or plant in once it's mix into the garden. I pray this helps.

https://www.livingmemorial.co.uk/pages/faqs

I pray that however you decide to do that your garden services and thrives. Add a bench to the area around it so you can sit there on a pretty day and remember your mom. God bless you. Vicky

Vicky Cody

Posts: 4

posted 4 months ago

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I googled are human ashes acidic or alkaline, bc I'd been reading where people where saying that they have a high acidic level and sodium level. But they aren't high in acid. They are high in alkaline. So you have to watch out what you believe. 👇that's what google spent me to.

It seems logical that ashes from cremated remains would be beneficial to plants, but in truth, cremains have a high alkaline and sodium content that is anything but beneficial. Both the high pH levels and excess sodium discourage plant growth by prohibiting absorption of the essential nutrients they require. This occurs whether the ashes are buried or scattered on top of the ground.

There's only a couple of places online that says they have a soil that when you add cremated ashes, human ashes, that it will neutralize them. But I also read that you have to add 2 cups pre 30 lbs of the weight that person died at. So if your loved one was 250, you'd have to by 8 or 9 share packs, on one website which would cost you almost $200 and that's not with shipping.

So I've read that if you put the ashes in a box and bury it really deep in the grown the plant your tree, or plants over that by the time the roots get to the tree through a biodegradable urns or box to the ashes the tree or plants will be strong enough to handle it. I figure I'm planting a tree, so I'll see how deep the roots go down and put the box of ashes that deep then pile the soil on top of it then put my sapling in that whole and really water it in. So by the time the tree is established it want hurt it if it breaks through the box. I'll still add some organic soil to his ashes in the hopes of neutralizing it a little. But I can't find anywhere on the internet how much organic planting soil or other soil to add to ashes. Everything just says add a little bit. We don't get a little bit of ashed do we. So do your research before you just take someone's word for it. Even mine. Lol

Alder Burns

pollinator

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Location: southern Illinois, USA

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posted 4 months ago

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My dad's ashes smelled strongly of kerosene or something similar. Perhaps they use things like that to encourage the burning? In any case I didn't want them anywhere near valuable plants, and put them down a stump hole in the woods.

I'm gonna make him a tiny ad he can't refuse!

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